Today, we’re here to talk about one of Cisco’s home security products – the Cisco WVC210 Wireless-G PTZ Internet Security Camera, which is a smart wireless IP camera that has been on the market since 2009.
Quick Stats
Color: Black, Silver
Item Dimensions: 6.89 x 7.83 x 1.26 inches
Item Weight: 1.01 pounds
Shipping Weight: 2.05 pounds
UNSPSC Code: 45121500
Video Capture Resolution: 640 x 480 pixels
Out Of The Box
Cisco WVC210 Wireless-G PTZ Internet Video Camera
Wireless-G antenna
Ethernet cable
DC power adapter
Desktop stand
CD-ROM with setup wizard
User documentation
WVC210 Features
Comes with built-in monitoring software suite (no extra software needed)
Control Pan & Tilt, Zoom Remotely
Live video sent to a web browser anywhere in the world
Supports dual codecs of MPEG4 and MJPEG
MPEG4 provides live streaming of 640 x 480 p video
Two-way audio via embedded microphone and speaker
Voice compression
IP Multicast capable, video streaming protocol
Supports network protocols including 8021p quality of service, 8021q vlans, and dynamic DNS
HTTPS capable
Detailed log (who has logged in and out and when)
Up to ten users can access the video at once
Can record to hard drive with advanced search by time and date
Recording can be set by motion trigger or manually
No need for proprietary video player – Windows Media Player will work
Security mode can send a message plus attached video to up to 3 emails at once
WIFI protected access
In the tech world, seven years is a long, long time and there have been many radical changes that make old products obsolete very quickly.
However, there are those who are of the mind that when something is made correctly, it is very difficult to improve upon it. Such could be argued for the Cisco WVC210 here.
Indeed, you can tell just by looking at this camera that it is not exactly the newest in new. That said, it functions very well and even has some features that other cameras being made in 2016 don’t have, such as compatibility with https, making it less prone to hacking.
Small Business Security Camera
Clearly, the Cisco WVC210 is primarily designed for small businesses. Cisco themselves mention the specific use of this camera for storefronts, warehouses, and parking lots, as well as basically stating that this camera is meant for small business security, rather than home security, although it could be used for both.
As mentioned in the list of features, you can see how this camera would work well within a business framework, as it is set up to be viewed by multiple parties at once and, also, alerts are sent out to up to 3 emails in case of something tripping the motion sensor.
Of course, the WVC210 looks very similar to many other 2016 home security cameras, and it could be used at home as well for any number of purposes, from keeping an eye on your kids to watching out for intruders.
Improvements With The WVC210
If you’ve had any experience with the WVC200 camera by Cisco, then you will appreciate some of the improvements made with the WVC210 over its predecessor.
For instance, with the WVC200 they’ve worked out some of the bugs that plagued the previous models of this camera, such as the freezing that some customers complained of. Also, it is worth noting that the colour on the WVC210 is noticeably improved from previous models.
Gripes
This camera is certainly not perfect.
For instance, if you pay a visit to the product page for the WVC210 over on Amazon.com, you can read several customer reviews which have gripes about things like the user interface, the zoom feature, the motion detection, and more.
Also, you might want to watch out for any super high asking prices, as we’ve seen this camera available for close to $1000!
Bottom Line
There are plenty of cameras being made today that are arguably better than the Cisco WVC210, but this camera does hold its own surprisingly well against many of them, considering its age. Then again, unless you are a fan of retro technology, we don’t think there’s a good enough reason to invest in this camera.
If you can find it for a good price, go for it. Otherwise, there’s plenty of other newer models that can do the job just as well or better.
